1. Field of the Invention.
Needle-stick injuries from hollow-bore steel needles used for withdrawing venous blood or giving intravenous infusions have become the most common cause of AIDS and serum hepatitis in health care personnel exposed to infected individuals at work. Currently, there are urgent needs for reliable, effective and inexpensive ways to prevent such injuries.
This invention relates to sliding protective needle sheaths for use with intravenous infusion, phlebotomy sets, or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of disposable puncture-resistant scabbards attached by friction to needle hubs for protecting hollow-bore steel needles before and after use has been standard practice for more than 30 years. However, the threat of AIDS and serum hepatitis from needle-stick injuries during the manual resheathing of needles with such scabbards after intravenous, intramuscular or subcutaneous use has made it imperative to find safer ways to protect the sharp needle tips.
Open-ended puncture-resistant needle protectors which slide forward with manual manipulation over trailing assemblies to lock with the open ends just beyond the tips of hollow-bore steel needles are known in the art. Factors limiting general use are:
a. The costs of production.
b. They are difficult to manipulate without considerable practice and dexterity, especially if the user employs one hand to maintain pressure over a venepuncture site and single-handedly attempts to securely lock a sliding needle protector over the hazardous tip of a withdrawn needle.
The concept of inserting such scabbards into slit elastomeric tubes, or inserting such slit elastomeric tubes into the scabbards, such that the scabbards are secured by elastic forces is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,946. It is useful to adapt the slit elastomeric sheathing system taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,946 to intravenous infusion and phlebotomy sets wherein a tube is attached to the trailing end of the venepuncture needle.